Four adults this June wish to travel from Rome to Montepulciano. We plan to take the train from Rome to Chiusi. My question is how best to get from Chiusi to Montepulciano? I understand that the options are: rent a car, take a bus, or hire a private driver. For various reasons, I think the private driver may be the best option. Does anyone have recent experience with a car service in that area? Would the bus be a decent option for 4 sixty-something travelers with several suitcases?
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7284 posts
Montepulciano does have a train station although a bit away from the town
You could train all the way there then take a short cab ride to center
Not sure if you’d need to transfer in Chiusi or not
Check Trenitalia
ETA
just checked
Train from Roma Termini to Chiusi then change to train to Montepulciano
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16168 posts
There is a regular bus from Chiusi di Montepulciano. I don’t recommend to use the Montepulciano station which is on a secondary rail line and has almost no services.
The issue is however to be able to visit the area without a car. Therefore I would recommend that for the length of your stay in that area you should rent a car, preferably large enough for 4 adults plus luggage (intermediate size would work). Chiusi has rental car offices with Europcar, Hertz, Avis Budget, all within walking distance from the train station (however they are open only Mon-Fri and Sat morning).
Take a look and see your options with this broker/consolidator.
www.AutoEurope.com
For Taxi cabs or Private Car Hire with Driver (Noleggio Con Conducente or NCC) the numbers are here:
https://www.montepulcianoliving.it/trasporti/
(If calling from a US phone precede those numbers with the Italy area code +39.
Posted by
Idaho, USA
7921 posts
Roberto has good info for car rentals. If you happen to decide on a bus, instead, I took the bus from Chiusi to Montepulciano, and it was very easy. The bus area at Chiusi is just outside the train station in a nearby parking area. If you take the bus, be sure to validate your tickets as you enter the bus and keep your ticket in case there is an inspector.
I took another bus while I was staying in Montepulciano for three days to go see Pienza. If you go there, it was the location for a couple of the scenes in the Romeo & Juliet movie by Franco Zeffirelli I remembered (I’m 65.) and also be sure to stop for Buon Gusto gelato in Pienza!
The best advice I can share: If you take the bus, there’s a little orange shuttle bus that runs from the Montepulciano bus station to the top piazza in Montepulciano to save your feet as it goes go up, up, up to the top of the town - best 1.20 Euro bargain! It makes a few stops, so it can be handy wherever you’re staying or having dinner.
Also, in Montepulciano, when I was taking walks, I liked to linger in the courtyard next to the music school at Palazzo Ricci with the view overlooking the valley – beautiful music & a view!